Masks
by DreamStar14
Summary: "I think that hate is a feeling that can only exist where there is no understanding." Tennessee Williams (Sweet Bird of Youth) / Is it possible that this chance encounter is the key to understanding each other? And a possible romance? EdsxKankers
1. Chapter 1: Scratching the Surface

A/N: I support EddxMarie. Let me get that out right now. I mean, every pairing from the show I support. There is not one that I dislike. I just prefer EddxMarie over them all. I think the Eds and the Kankers would get along very well if the Eds weren't so scared of girls, especially EdxMay, and if the Kankers weren't so stalker-ish.

And before you ask, yes, I also support EddyxEdd. Well, it's kinda hard to miss, seeing as how every time they fight, they tend to sound like an old married couple.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. All the credit goes to Mr. Danny Antonucci and AKA Cartoons.

~EEnE~EEnE~EEnE~EEnE~

**Masks**

**Chapter 1:** _Scratching the Surface_

Eddward Brooks runs through the forest, frightened out of his own mind. This can't be. Not now!

His parents have been non-existent, only communicating with him through sticky notes they kept in certain areas around the house.

But now they decide to step into his life and toss those sticky notes aside, possibly in the garbage? Out of all times, they choose now to actually be parents to him?

Who do they think they are, making him choose like this?

Eddward knows that his parents are calling out for him to come back home immediately, and he knows that Ed and Eddy are searching for him as well right now. They were just waking up when he had finished getting dressed not even fifteen minutes ago.

_'Ed and I will be over in about ten minutes, 'kay?'_

Eddy had said that.

Fifteen minutes had passed since then, and now they were out looking for him.

But he cannot face any one of those four people right now.

Edd climbs up onto a tree limb, quite sturdy, so no rope was needed. The branch is quite low, but high enough to be hidden from people that might decide to walk by.

He needs to think. He needs to decide between his friends and his parents without any distractions to make him lean towards one side.

_'Those friends of yours is trouble, Eddward. All they do is cause trouble and get you into trouble, with or without them. You're just their fail-safe card, son.'_

_'Eddward, dear, we're giving you a choice. Either dump your friends within this week or we move from Peach Creek. Permanently.'_

Edd feels a tear fall down his face.

He knows that his parents are right. Ed and Eddy do cause trouble and often tend to drag him down with them, but...

He knows that Ed and Eddy are his best friends. They do everything together. Not every moment between them is a bad one.

_He can't..._

~E~D~E~D~D~N~E~D~D~Y~~A~N~D~~M~A~Y~M~A~R~I~E~N~L~E~E~

Marie Kanker runs from the trailer she and her sisters are housed in through the forest at top speed. Anger runs through her entire body, from her spine, originating in her heart.

_Rage, anger..._

Who do May and Lee think they are, messing with her emotions like that?

She had woken up today slightly warm, like she had a fever or something. She had tried telling Lee about it, but to no avail. Who did she turn to?

May.

What was wrong with May?

_Nothing._

May was just being her normal, bubbly self, both sisters completely ignoring and neglecting the third occupant of the trailer.

Unable to take anymore of Lee's favoritism towards May, and the same of May's towards Lee, Marie high-tails it from the trailer park and into the woods, where she climbs a tree.

The branch she sits on is quite sturdy, quite low to the ground, so safety is no issue, not that she ever cared, but the branch is high enough so that no one passing by the base of the tree can bother her.

Marie hears a rustle of leafs, and she glances down.

No one is there.

She hears a sniffle beside her, and she glances to her right, causing some more leaves to rustle as she does.

There is someone's face and blue eyes staring right back at her. Judging by his expression, he is just as shocked to find her here and she is for him.

They both scream at the top of their lungs, causing them to lose their balance and fall out of the tree.

~E~D~E~D~D~N~E~D~D~Y~~A~N~D~~M~A~Y~M~A~R~I~E~N~L~E~E~

Edd rubs the top of his head, where he hit it, glancing over at who he saw in the very same tree he was in.

A girl with blue hair...

"M-Marie!"

Marie rubs her shoulder, and cricks her neck, and looks over at the boy she saw, one with a black ski hat on his head.

"Double D?"

"Oh, umm..."

But she seems really surprised. This appears to be stopping her from latching on to him, as per usual, like she always does.

But he gets really worried when she sits at the base of the tree, just sitting there, with a sad look in her eyes, seemingly staring off into space.

Quite reluctantly, confident that she could snap at any minute and return to her normal self, Edd sits next to her, asking, "Marie...is there something wrong?"

He shivers and his heart quakes when she coldly replies, "Like you'd understand..."

No.

He won't abandon someone who is hurt or injured and in desperate need of assistance. Whether she likes it or not, he will help her.

So he puts on a little smile. "Maybe so. Maybe not. I am a good listener, you know. I'll try my best."

_That's why she fell for him._

Double D is kind, sincere, sympathetic, willing to listen to worries anyone may have, willing to help anyone in need, responsible, mature, not to mention he's really cute too...

If he wasn't so afraid of girls, most specifically her, if she had more respect of his personal space, maybe their relationship could actually work out.

Quietly and hesitantly, Marie faces back in front of her, and replies, "Well...Lee and Marie are completely ignoring my presence in our house." If you could call a trailer a house. "Mom's always out drinkin' and partyin' and stuff, so we just take care of ourselves, you know?" Of course, he does. He has to fend for himself every single day, whether his parents are around or not, because they don't stay for long. "Though, at times, Lee and May just like to pretend I don't exist. Same thing happened this mornin', so I got fed up with it and ran out."

He's quiet for a minute, absorbing everything she just said. Her pain saddens him, but he must make her feel better. "You know, I think you're fortunate to have Lee and May as your sisters. Ed and Eddy are just my friends. Sometimes, I wish they were blood related, so all three of us could live under the same roof together." Like the Kanker sisters. "But we're not. My parents have been non-existent in my life up until this very morning. They informed me that I had a decision to make, that either Ed, Eddy, and I stop being friends, or we would move from Peach Creek one week from now." It's Sunday today. This Saturday could mean the difference between losing his parents' trust and losing his two friendships he held most dear.

Marie has sincere sympathy for him, and she can't help but reply with, "Who are they to tell you what to do? They should have been there for you since you were born, and they choose now to become part of your life! They don't deserve your respect, Double D, no matter how much you give them or if it's in your nature or not."

Edd refuses to meet her eyes. He appreciates the fact that she's being so protective of him, and it feels good...maybe a little _too_ good, which confuses him...but they are his parents. They brought him into this world, to this town of Peach Creek, and they can take him right back out again.

He doesn't know how to reply to her feisty, protective attitude and words, so he does not say anything at all.

When Marie is convinced that he will not reply, she continues on, "You know, sometimes I wonder if I'm good enough, if I'm beautiful enough. Mom's out with a different guy every other night. She meets each guy during the first day, and the second day, at night, they break up. Don't know why she does that, but...she does. May's the youngest. She's the baby and everyone spoils her. Lee's the oldest, Mom's pride and joy. Everyone looks up to her for advice and guidance. Me? I'm the middle child. I'm the nobody, and they all boss me around because of it. I don't matter as much."

Tears came to his eyes as he listened to her words. "No, don't say that." No one has the right to treat somebody this way, not their siblings and especially not their parents. He knows what it's like to feel neglected. He knows what it's like to spend most of the day all alone. He knows what it's like to take orders from someone who doesn't even acknowledge your existence.

And he does not want anyone to go through the same thing as he does every day.

"Why not?" She shoots back, almost rudely. "It's true. Mom, May, and Lee are one thing, but then whenever I even come ten feet near you, your friends and you run away, as if scared of being near girls or something. I can take a hint, Double D. You hate me, don't you?"

He's too surprised at her answer and her words to correct her grammar error. She thinks he hates her?

Well...actually, at this point, he's not quite sure...

_Violence is never the answer. Love, don't hate._

He is not a fighter. Eddward Brooks is a lover.

"I do not hate you, Marie," he replies slowly and quietly. "I am aware that my previous actions may have convinced you otherwise, but...I do not hate you. Perhaps if you had a little more respect of my personal space, then...I might reconsider..."

Marie pauses and turns to her crush, her eyes filling with emotion, something she prefers not to feel. She's a tough girl.

But only on the outside. On the inside, behind that mask she always wears...

_She's a lover too._

Double D clears his throat and politely asks, "Marie, do have a mirror on you anywhere?" She nods and digs into her back pocket, pulling out a circular pocket mirror. She opens it and hands it to him. He takes it, but he sets it in front of her face, not his. "Observe the beautiful girl in the mirror, but don't look at her outward appearance. Think about her personality, who she really is on the inside." Marie does as he suggests, and eventually cracks a smile. It's small, but it's real. "There we go. The smile just made her more beautiful." Marie feels her face getting a bit red. Is Double D really flirting with her? "This girl is you, Marie. You are beautiful. Do not focus on the outside. The inside is what really matters. That is all I am concerned with, regarding, as you call it, a _'girlfriend'_."

He eventually closes the mirror and gently hands it back to her.

Their eyes connect, brown with blue.

And Edd can't help but observe one thing.

Why is he feeling this way about her _now_?

Ed and Eddy will be so upset if they find out he's befriended a Kanker, but at this point, he does not care whether they find out or not.

Marie's head spins and Double D's worried face is the last thing she sees before she blacks out.

~EEnE~EEnE~EEnE~EEnE~

A/N: There we go. Chapter One is up. Two more chapters await updating, dedicated to EdxMay and EddyxLee, respectively. Review, please!


	2. Chapter 2: Digging Deeper

A/N: I support EddxMarie. Let me get that out right now. I mean, every pairing from the show I support. There is not one that I dislike. I just prefer EddxMarie over them all. I think the Eds and the Kankers would get along very well if the Eds weren't so scared of girls, especially EdxMay, and if the Kankers weren't so stalker-ish.

And before you ask, yes, I also support EddyxEdd. Well, it's kinda hard to miss, seeing as how every time they fight, they tend to sound like an old married couple.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. All the credit goes to Mr. Danny Antonucci and AKA Cartoons.

~EEnE~EEnE~EEnE~EEnE~

**Masks**

**Chapter 2:** _Digging Deeper_

Edward Harper stands by one of his best friends, Eddy, by their lockers the following morning. Double D didn't call them, nor did he come home last night. At least, not to their knowledge.

Ed opens his thermos and pours some gravy into the cup.

"Geez, Ed," Eddy stares at him like he's out of his mind. Then again, he never had a mind to begin with. "You ever have any real breakfast? Like bacon, eggs, orange juice?"

"This is my breakfast, Eddy," Ed mutters back, taking a sip from the cup. "Your point is?"

Eddy growls in anger. "You're addicted to gravy, Ed! Dump it, or I will!" The short Ed makes to grab the thermos from Ed's hand, but he misses. Ed only lifts it up and holds the thermos higher. Eddy growls even more when he realizes that Ed is using his one weakness against him.

_His height..._

Ed lets an oblivious smile show, his signature facial expression.

"Yeouch!" Eddy has kicked him in the shin.

"Get rid of the stupid gravy, Ed!"

"Never! Give me gravy, or give me death!"

"Oh, I'll give you death, you pathetic excuse for a lump! _GIVE ME THE DAMN GRAVY_!"

"DOUBLE D!"

Ed lets Eddy fall to the ground (he had Eddy off the ground by holding his wrist) as the lump glomps their third companion and gives the young genius and big bear hug.

"Why you...!" He too notices the third Ed. "Let go of him, Lumpy. You're giving him a hernia."

Which is code for _'Double D can't breathe'_.

Ed loosens up his grip, but still has a tight hold on Edd. "Double D, where have you been, Mister? We were worried sick about you." Double D says nothing in return, and Ed doesn't know why. "You never came home, Double D."

"And your parents kicked us out," Eddy adds, still extremely ticked off, due his and Ed's fight just moments ago.

Still no reply from Double D.

Ed releases Edd from his bear hug and gently sets him down, thoroughly sensing that something is wrong with their friend. He won't speak to them, nor will he look them in the eyes.

Double D opens his locker and proceeds to fetch his biology book and notebook.

"What is wrong, Double D?"

"Sockhead?" Now Eddy is getting mildly worried, which is a sure sign that something really is wrong.

Edd closes his locker. "I did come home last night. I just ran into someone and they passed out, so I brought them home with me."

"That's not what's botherin' you, Sockhead," Eddy ignores his friend's explanation. "I know that. Heck, even Ed knows that! Tell us what's on your mind!"

He still won't make eye contact. "I apologize for causing you to worry, dear Ed. I am fine now. I just...I just need to be left alone for a while."

It's like Ed can sense his guilt as he walks away.

But he can't let anyone influence his decision in an unfair way.

Eddy grabs Ed by the ear. "Come on, Lumpy. If Double D won't tell us, then we'll find out ourselves. We'll get the truth out of him even if it kills us."

~E~D~E~D~D~N~E~D~D~Y~~A~N~D~~M~A~Y~M~A~R~I~E~N~L~E~E~

May Kanker stands patiently by her oldest sister. Yesterday was so fun, with just her and Lee, but Marie never came home last night. Lee just blew the matter off, but May could tell that Lee was just as worried as she herself was.

She was just too stubborn to let it show.

"So, Lee...where did Mom say Marie was at last night?"

"Double D's house," Lee lets a smirk show. "I wonder how she did it."

"I wonder what happened there," May begins to smile as well.

"Nothin' happened," comes a sour, familiar voice. Marie's here, and May rushes up to hug here. Marie just stands there, not returning her little sister's hug. She looks angry, but Lee brushes that off too.

"What do you mean _'nothin' happened'_?" Lee demands.

"Exactly that," is Marie's short answer. She opens her locker and grabs her biology stuff, her book and her notebook.

May releases Marie from the hug, hurt that it was not returned. "Are you okay, Marie?" She asks, as Marie closes her locker.

Nothing is said.

"Marie, May asked you a question, and we expect it to be answered." Lee swung a punch at her sister.

Marie could sense it coming already, and she dodges the punch easily, before turning around and returning the favor.

May kneels beside Lee and searches her pockets for a rag for Lee's bloody lip and nose. "Marie, what's gotten into you?"

Sure they beat each other up, but they're only playing. This time, however, is much different. This time, Marie's gone too far.

_She's actually drawn blood this time._

"You'll beat it if you know what's good for you, May!" Marie orders. May squeaks as she watches her blue-haired sister walk away.

Lee growls. "I don't know what she's been doing, May, but we're going to find out."

~E~D~E~D~D~N~E~D~D~Y~~A~N~D~~M~A~Y~M~A~R~I~E~N~L~E~E~

The English classroom's a mess. Somehow a jar of peanut butter had exploded. Those with peanut allergies were sent with Nurse Assistant Double D to the nurse's office right away for treatment. Those left behind were forced to sit in their seats, still covered with peanut butter and were questioned about what had just happened.

It was all narrowed down to two likely suspects: Eddy and Lee.

Neither Ed nor May know how it got to that. They were both two busy worrying about Edd and Marie, respectively. Sure the teacher questioned them, but they told the truth, were believed, and were let go once the lunch bell rang.

Now, here they are in the lunch line, both of them observing Edd and Marie sitting together at the same table.

"How'd the treatment go, Nurse Double D?"

"Successful, fortunately. Two of those students had severe allergies to peanuts, so I had to treat them first, lest they actually die in school."

"What a horrible way to go. If I die anywhere, it'll be in an auto shop."

She's not advancing him. She's not flirting with him, at least, not knowingly, not intentionally.

May blinks in mild surprise.

_Marie...what's gotten into you?_

"I can help you, Marie. I can tutor you. I can help you get a better grade, though it appears you are a natural at science."

"No idea why. I guess science just comes naturally to me for some reason I don't get."

"Haha! Has anyone ever informed you that you are quite humorous?"

He's not running away. Why not? She's the enemy?

Ed can't stop his heart from shaking. His best friend could possibly be poisoned by Marie Kanker.

_Double D, run. That is a Kanker you are sitting with._

Ed and May shake their heads and turn them to the side, Ed to the right and May to the left. When they both lay eyes on each other...

_"AHHHH!"_

"Girl germs!"

"Big Ed! Woah, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Here, you can cut me." And Ed reluctantly takes her place in the line.

"B-But...w-why?"

"You like gravy, right? It is bottomless gravy day today, so, go ahead. I mean, I like gravy too, and toast, but with jelly. I don't mind butter, but I like jelly better." She forces herself to stop mid-rant. "Anyways, have you seen how strange Double D and Marie have been acting today?"

His mind doesn't process her rant. As soon as May mentions _'Double D'_, his said friend is all he can think about.

"Yes. Double D has not been chatting with us at all today, or yesterday. He said he came home yesterday, and he brought someone home with them, because they passed out. I was so worried, but he apologized to me for making me worry so..." Ed's bottom lip quivered.

"Marie spent the night over at Double D's house last night. Marie must have passed out and Double D cared for her until she felt good enough to come to school this morning. Man, do I owe him a thank you, or what?"

"Like cookies and milk," was Ed's reply. Then, the light in Ed's brain went off. "You like gravy and buttered toast?!"

"Well, jelly-ed toast, but yes, I really do. It's like the best food in the world. I also like comics and monster movies."

"Have you partaketed in the watching of the Toilet Squid or the reading of Leapfrog Zombies?"

"Yes, I have, big Ed. Both of them. My favorite scene in that comic was when they tore each others' stomachs open."

"Oh boy, oh boy~! I forget what we're talking about!"

"So have I!"

The two are so wrapped up in their conversations, neither of them notice Edd and Marie both giving the two an affectionate smile.

"I see someone's gotten along," Marie mutters. "Took 'em long enough, though Lee and Eddy aren't gonna be happy when they see this."

"Indeed, but are you observing the expression on Ed's face?" Edd points out. "That is the expression he receives when around chickens, his favorite animals. When Eddy does burst in and threatens to hurt May in order to force Ed to do his bidding, Ed will step up and protect her."

"And will you protect me?"

She hardly needs protecting, but he replies with, "Naturally. I am always there for a friend."

The two doors into the cafeteria slam open and Edd and Ed feel a hand around each of their necks. With his glass still in hand, Edd is dragged with Ed to the source of his capture.

_Eddy..._

"You two will get a grip, or God so help me, I will turn into a serial killer and bash you anytime you talk to these nutjobs!"

"What is so wrong about a little friendship, Eddy?" Ed retorts. He's getting protective, just like Double D said he would. Eddy just called May a _'nutjob'_. "You jealous?"

"No, I am NOT! Those are Kankers you're talking to! They are evil bi-!"

Edd's grip on his glass is so tight that he actually breaks it. "You finish that sentence, Mister, and I will never forgive you! No one talks badly about my friends. Ever. I knew my parents kicked you out for a reason, and I suppose they are right, like always. You two are nothing but troublemakers. If I say I need to be alone, I expect you to respect my personal space. But you never do, and you never behave like normal humans. Oh, I'm surprised at how much personal free time I am allowed with you two on my back every second!"

"What are you talking about, Double D?" Eddy demands.

"Ed did not do anything, Double D. Please, do not punish bad Ed!" Ed is close to crying. He doesn't like seeing Edd's dark side. Never has. Never will.

"My parents told me to let our friendship go, or I move from Peach Creek by the end of this week!"

The room is silent as Edd's words sink in. Double D tries to calm, especially once he sees that he's made this into a scene, something that was purely unintentional.

He speaks again, but this time, softly, as tears begin to pour down his cheeks and he lets his hat cover his eyes, "I do not desire to make this decision, but I cannot allow one side to lean forward in an unjust and biased way. That is the reason you did not see me at all yesterday, and that is the reason I refuse to speak to you any longer."

Marie sees the pain Edd's in, and her blood boils.

"Forget the bums, you two."

Lee just makes it worse.

And the oldest sister gets yet another bloody nose.

"Wow, aren't you two hypocrites? You completely ignore my existence one day and the next, you act all protective like nothing ever happened. I am a big girl, Lee Kanker! I don't need protecting!" She turns her back on her sisters, May severely hurt by her words, and marches onward to Double D. She glances at his cut up hand, and softly says, "Come on, Double D. Let's get you a band-aid."

And he lets her lead him out.

Now both groups are one too less.

Ed starts to cry.

"We are not long for this world, May!" He runs to her, picks her up, swings her over his shoulder and runs out of the cafeteria, seriously tearing up.

"Hold it, Lumpy! Where are _you_ going?!"

No response, and it is now that Eddy realizes he made a huge mistake, and now he probably can't fix it.

Lee feels the same way.

~EEnE~EEnE~EEnE~EEnE~

A/N: There we go. Chapter Two is now up. At least one more chapter awaits, dedicated to EddyxLee. It's going to be so hard to write. Those two are so stubborn. And I'm sorry if the characters seem a little out of whack.

Review, please!


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